《一个叫欧维的男人决定去死》：无法启程的单人旅行

弗里德里克·巴克曼（Fredrik Backman），瑞典作家，1981年出生于赫爾辛堡。巴克曼最初因热爱写作，常在博客和报刊上发表文章。2012年他的第一部小说《一个叫欧维的男人决定去死》（A Man Called Ove）出版后，他一举成名，从此专注于小说创作，相继有《外婆的道歉信》（My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You Shes Sorry，2013）、《布瑞特-玛丽来过这儿》（Britt-Marie Was Here，2014）、《垮掉》（Beardown，2017）等作品问世，均登上《纽约时报》畅销书榜。巴克曼笔下的故事幽默又充满温情，人物常格格不入但善良有趣，因而广受世界各地读者的喜爱，他的小说已经被翻译成了35种语言。2015年《一个叫欧维的男人决定去死》被改编为电影，获第89届奥斯卡最佳外语片提名。巴克曼如今和妻子及两个孩子生活在斯德哥尔摩，继续从事写作。

Excerpts1）

Ove twists uncomfortably in the passenger seat. She punches2） the steering wheel several times， mumbles something about how all she wants is to “drink some bloody lemonade，” flops her arms over the top of the steering wheel， buries her face in her sleeves， and starts crying again.

The SUV behind them honks3） until it sounds as if the Finland ferry is about to run them down. And then something in Ove snaps4）. He throws the door open， gets out of the car， walks slowly around the SUV， and rips the drivers door open.

“Have you never been a student driver or what？”

The driver doesnt have time to answer.

“You stupid little bastard！” Ove roars in the face of the shaven-headed young man with throat tattoos， his spittle5） cascading6） over their seats.

The Throat Tattoo doesnt have time to answer and Ove doesnt wait for him either. Instead he grabs the young man by his collar and pulls him up so hard that his body tumbles7） clumsily out of the car. Hes a muscular sort， easily weighing in at two hundred pounds， but Ove holds his collar in an immovable steel grip. Evidently， Throat Tattoo is so surprised by the strength in the old mans grip that it doesnt occur to him to put up any resistance. Fury burns in Oves eyes as he presses the probably thirty-five-years-younger man so hard against the side of the SUV that the bodywork8） creaks. He places the tip of his index finger in the middle of the shaved head and positions his eyes so close to Throat Tattoos face that they feel each others breath.

“If you sound that horn one more time， itll be the LAST thing you do on this earth. Got it？”

Throat Tattoo allows his eyes to divert quickly towards his equally muscular friend inside the car， and then at the growing line of other cars behind the SUV. No one is making the slightest move to come to his assistance. No one beeps. No one moves. Everyone seems to be thinking the same thing： If a non-throat-tattooed man of Oves age without any hesitation steps up to a throat-tattooed man of the age of this Throat Tattoo and presses him up against a car in this manner， then its very likely not the throat-tattooed man one should be most worried about annoying.endprint

Oves eyes are black with anger. After a short moment of reflection， Throat Tattoo seems convinced by the argument that the old man unmistakably means business. The tip of his nose， almost unnoticeably， moves up and down.

Ove nods by way of confirmation and lets him back down on the ground. Then turns around， walks around the SUV， and gets back into the Saab. Parvaneh stares at him， with her mouth hanging open.

“Now， you listen to me，” says Ove calmly while he carefully closes the door. “Youve given birth to two children and quite soon youll be squeezing out a third. Youve come here from a land far away and most likely you fled war and persecution9） and all sorts of other nonsense. Youve learned a new language and got yourself an education and youre holding together a family of obvious incompetents10）. And Ill be damned if Ive seen you afraid of a single bloody thing in this world before now.”

Ove rivets11） his eyes into her. Parvaneh is still agape. Ove points imperiously12） at the pedals under her feet.

Im not asking for brain surgery. Im asking you to drive a car. Its got an accelerator， a brake， and a clutch. Some of the greatest twits13） in world history have sorted out how it works. And you will as well.”

And then he utters seven words， which Parvaneh will always remember as the loveliest compliment hell ever give her.

“Because you are not a complete twit.”

Parvaneh pushes a ringlet14） of hair out of her face， sticky with tears. Clumsily she once again grabs hold of the steering wheel with both hands. Ove nods， puts on his safety belt， and makes himself comfortable.

“Now， push the clutch down and do what I say.”

And that afternoon Parvaneh learns to drive.

59歲的欧维是老派人，即使自杀也井井有条。

早上六点差一刻，他像往常一样准时起床，煮上两人份的咖啡，出门去小区巡逻一圈，然后回来注销了电话号码，退订了杂志，修好洗手间的水龙头，给房门换上新把手，给厨房台面上油。下午四点整，他站在生活了近40年的房子客厅里，准备自杀。

六个月前太太索雅去世了，前一天公司通知他可以退休了，这个世界对欧维来说已经了无牵挂。从16岁时父亲去世后，欧维就一个人生活，一个人盖房子，一个人坐在汽车里吃饭，直到有一天早晨，欧维在火车上遇到那个叫索雅的女孩，她别着金色的胸针站在灿烂的阳光里，笑声像香槟泡沫一样，从此，欧维的生命有了色彩。索雅鼓励欧维拿到了函授工程学位，包容他的顽固和偏执。索雅因车祸失去了双腿和肚子里的孩子，愤怒的欧维不停地申诉，是索雅劝慰他开始新的生活。人们说欧维和索雅两人一个像黑夜，一个像白天，欧维从来不会拐弯抹角，嬉皮笑脸，他的世界通行的是看得见、摸得着、弄得明白的东西，比如发动机、建筑材料和图纸。索雅喜欢的则是书，她坐在轮椅上教会了那些有读写障碍的孩子们阅读莎士比亚。欧维不会唱歌吟诗，也从来没送过索雅昂贵的礼物，但他会花好几周为她做一个漂亮的书架，会亲手为她在学校里建一条残疾人坡道。这个世界上值得欧维用生命守护的，只有索雅。如今索雅走了，剩下欧维一人在这世界上，如同一头愤怒的孤狼，以僵硬的姿态活着，却失去了活着的理由。

第一次自杀有条不紊地进行着，但还没把绳子挂上天花板，外面搬家的邻居帕尔瓦娜一家就开着拖斗车钻进了欧维家的花坛。欧维只得先替他们把车倒好再回来自杀，等一切就绪，绳子断了。

第二次自杀欧维选择在安静的车库进行，用汽车尾气。无奈刚开启死亡之旅，对面怀孕的邻居帕尔瓦娜就来敲门，请欧维帮忙送她去医院。让孕妇坐公车对欧维来说是无法忍受的，自杀只能顺延。endprint

第三次自杀必须远离这群捣乱的邻居，欧维天没亮就起床去了火车站。谁知还没跳下轨道，远处一个西装男先掉了进去。所有人都无动于衷，只有欧维义无反顾地跳下去救人。本来要自杀的欧维却鬼使神差救了别人一命。

第四次自杀时间隔得久了些，期间欧维不得不收养一只讨厌的流浪猫，接送邻居去医院，帮乱停放的毛头小子修自行车，教孕妇学开车。等终于清静了，欧维把猎枪拿出来，谁知枪口还没对准自己，倒先朝向了门口两位不速之客。那个乱停自行车的小子竟然半夜领着一位同性恋小伙子来欧维这里求借宿，欧维简直怒不可遏，死期变成了留客之日。

不知不觉中，一群不断打扰欧维的邻居就这样成了他在这个世界的牵绊。要阻止社保机构把患老年痴呆症的邻居从家里带走，要给邻家的女儿买生日礼物，晚上为了抓小偷，欧维还受伤住进了医院。医生说欧维的心脏并不能坚持多久了，我们不知道欧维是否仍要自杀，但活着要做的事情似乎还有很多。接下来的日子，欧维帮周围小区里的房子做维修，邻居家的小儿子出生了，欧维把小家伙的照片塞在钱包里，见谁给谁看，还特意为他挖了个小游泳池。之前来借宿的同性恋小伙子结婚了，是欧维做的伴郎。这个看上去有些格格不入的老頭儿却总是有人需要他，索雅走后那些再次生长出的坚硬棱角逐渐被热情和真诚打磨。转眼间四年过去了，一个冬天的早晨，这个曾经屡次计划自杀的人在睡梦中离开了人世。

索雅说欧维是一座屹立于新时代的古老纪念碑，这话一点没错。他戴着一块父亲留下的已经变形的手表，衬衫会扣到最上面一个，一辈子只开萨博牌汽车，只爱一个女人。欧维对勤劳正义、对错分明和自食其力的世界深信不疑，他在自己的岗位上一干就是三十几年，一辈子没上过一个闹钟，没请过一天病假。但现在人们只想着尽早退休，对具有普遍性的功能主义早已失去了应有的尊重，追求一切必须时髦，必须数字化。所以欧维总不明白为什么现在没人会自己换轮胎、装开关、铺瓷砖、粉刷墙壁、倒拖斗车、报税，大家都在忙着换车子、换房子、换女人。选择自杀的欧维不知道如何在这样的世界上一个人继续活下去。

或许有时候我们并不需要了解一个人的一生才能弄明白他到底是什么样的人。索雅从欧维陪她反向坐了三个月火车后就决定陪伴他一生，并不介意他当时是一名列车清洁工。欧维是索雅心中的超级英雄。他会眼看着自己亲手建的房子被烧成灰烬，却仍然选择冲进大火解救邻居，自杀时还想着去帮助和救护别人的生命，于是他的死亡计划才会总不成功。人们说欧维阴沉刻薄，或许只是因为他对另一些如今已经稀见的价值观更为珍视，比如忠诚、善良、负责任还有正直。这件事情索雅明白，那些总被骂成“白痴”，但仍然敲开门走进欧维生命中的邻居们也明白。在日益浮躁的现代社会，钢筋水泥在人们心间立起深厚的壁垒，快节奏和虚拟化的生活使我们投去一瞥就对他人做出评判，发现他人的美好心灵对现代人来说并没有足够的时间，匆匆行进的脚步不会为任何人而停下。但我们总能见到欧维的身影，可能是电话那头被嫌牢骚不停的长辈，也可能是大街上脾气暴躁被避而远之的大爷大妈。那些隐藏在坚硬表面下的温暖心灵和爱意，需要我们像那些敲门上前的邻居一样，用心去倾听和倾诉，才可能被发现、被感知。endprint